Elevator-drag.



`UNI'IEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`CHAIRJLIISVFl CLEMENTS, 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CAMP BROS. CO., OF

. WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR-DRAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1907, Serial No. 394,097. Renewed 'May 11, 1908.

Patented May 30, 1911.

serial No. 432,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. CLEMENTS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator-Drags; and I do hereby declare that the following. is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in .the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to a bucket for attachment to the chain of an elevator, being more especially for attachment to the flight ordinarily used.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a bucket that can be detachably secured to the flight of a chain or drag such as is used in elevators, and particularly elevators employed in combination with a wagon dump whereby small grains and flax seed may be more readily and quickly elevated than by the use of the flight alone.

The invention further relates to details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear hereinafter.

In` the appended drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal4 section of part of an elevator showing my detachable buckets inconnection with the flights. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the buckets. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the flights for carrying the flight in their connected relation. `a top view of a modified form of connection bucket. Fig. 4l is an end elevation, in part section, of a portion of the detachable bucket and one of the flights showing means of attachingthe former to the latter. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of part of the bucket and Fig. 6 is for the, bucket and flight. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of anv elevator and conveyer showing the elevator bucket in use therein.

The reference letter A indicates an elevator provided with the usual bottom B.

` C indicates o-ne of the sprocket wheels for the drag-chain indicated at D. The latter is provided at intervals, as are all devices of this class, with the usual flights E which are merely plates adapted to travel perpendicularly to the bottom B; these being suitable for elevating corn in the ear.

In bringing out my invention I am fully aware `that it is not new to provide buckets for elevators since these have been used for a number of years upon the belts of elevators of the vertical type such as are employed in all milling operations. But to my knowledge detachable buckets have not been used in connection, for instance, withthe flights of wagon dump elevators so that they will be better adapted for elevating flax seed and the small grams.

In referring to the buckets used for the old belt form of mill elevators I refer to a bucket which in reality is permanently attached to the belt since when it is once placed in position it remains until, when rendered unfit for further use, or when the belt has been worn out, it is removed for reconstructing purposes. It is, therefore, permanently attached there being no reason other than those stated for removing it.

It is well known that the small grains, and even shelled corn, which are smooth of surface and of small form easily slip beneath, around and past the ordinary flights and back into the boot of the elevator, and this, it is known, is particularly true of flax seed which is very small in size and exceedingly smooth. It is my purpose in view of the above to provide a bucket or cup for attachment to the usual drag by which to elevate grains or flax seed in large quantities, bulk by bulk, and deliver them into the desired receiver without loss ea route, said bucket being of a .form that will admit of little if any loss of grain as compared with a flight in the form of a flat plate, or even a plate of concave form. The idea, therefore, is to provide means for better controlling or holding the grain, flax seed, and the like, so that a given quantity thereof can be elevated in less time than by other methods, i. e. by using the flight alone.

My bucket, or cup, is preferably formed of sheet metal having a vertical portion F which may be termed its back'which is of substantially the size as the flight to which the bucket is to be secured. It also has a bottom indicated at G which, when the bucket is in position for work, lies parallel to and moves along the bottom B, Fig. l. The bucket is further provided with the ends H thus forming a receptacle of considerable size in consequence of which it has a large carrying capacity. I may employ any sort of means by which to detachably secure the bucket to the flight E so that said bucket of the back F of the bucket I secure in any good manner members J which enter said notches from above, there being an enlargement or head K to pass down behind the flight. The lug J and its head may be in the nature of a bolt the head of which acts to hold the parts together as described and this bo-lt may extend through the vertical portion F of the'bucket and receive a nut L Yon the inside, as shown in Fig. 6, which may be tightened to prevent separation.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the other method by which the bucket may be attached to the flight E. This consists in providing'a hook M at the top of the portion of the back F near each end, there being but one shown however. These are adapted to hook upon the top of the flight as shown in Fig. 5. Secured at the bottom of the bucket, preferably on the inside, is a spring N having a hooked end which is beveled and this spring extends through an opening O in the bucket. The hooks M engage the top edge of the flights, Fig. 4, and the hooked portion of the spring N enters -a notch P in the bottom of the flight, Figs. 4 and 5. rl`he resiliency of the spring causes its hooked end to arise behind and engage the flight and form a perfect lock for the bucket. To separate the parts the spring N is depressed and the bucket de tached by lifting its hook from the flight.

The notches P are provided so that the under surface of the spring N, of which there may be one or more, will be flush with the under surface of the bucket and fiight. However, this is merely a matter of detail and other arrangements for-the disposition of the spring will readily suggest themselves. Evidently the back portion F could be eliminated so as to cheapen the construction of the bucket in which event the flight would answer in the same capacity as said back and any other form of fastenings than those described could be used by which to attach such a part-bucket to said flight.

Vhen using the flights alone in the elevating operation the grain is pushed ahead of them being thereby kept in constant agitation and this constant agitation assists in causing it to slip past and around the flights finally finding its way into the elevator boot. It is desirable in handling ear corn and other ylarge material to use merely the flight E as inusual practice since these are all that are required to properly do the work, but when handling small grains or vshelled corn or flaX seed it is very desirable to have a more positivemeans of elevation than is afforded by said liights. A bucket is, therefore, de-

sirable and particularly one that, for convenience, can be attached or removed in a few moments. Y

In combining an elevator and conveyer in the usual way, for instance, as shown in Fig. 7 and indicated by A. and A2 respectively, it often happens that at the juncture of these members there is an offset which is diflicult to entirely eliminate.V The ordinary flights can drag over it without much difficulty and without causing breakage of parts. But in using a bucket of the type described herein it is desirable Vto provide some means by which its forward edge will be raised .above and thus readily clear any obstruction at the point mentioned. I have provided a very simple Way of accomplishing'this. The for-V ward or pointed portions of the sides H are extended beyond the edge of the bottom G into the points L. and it is to be noted that said points as they move along the conveyerV are the first to strike the inclined bottom of the elevator the result of which is to A'raise the bottom of the bucket from the conveyer and its edge clear of the juncture so that it can pass without catching. f

The point at which the chain is attached is high upon the flight so that the tendency claim 1. In combination with the drag chainof an elevator, of a drag-plate carried thereby,

a bucket associated therewith, means on one of the two lastv named members to embrace the other of them in a readily separable manner, and other means also on one of them to yieldingly engage the other of them.

2. The combination with a drag-plate the plane of which is perpendicular to vits line of advance, a chain by which it is carried and which is secured to said plate above Y iis the middle of its height, a bucket detachably I secured to the plate comprising a bottom portion perpendicular to the plane of the plate and substantially flush with the lower edge thereof and end portionsl substantially flush with the ends of the plate, and means to detachably secure the said bucket to said plate.

izo

3. In combination withthe drag chain of an elevator, of a drag plate carried thereby, a bucket, means on one of the two last named members to embrace the other member in a readily separable manner, and a yielding device carried by one of said members to engage the other of them to hold both said members in rigid relation.

4. In combination with Vthe drag plate of an elevator chain, itself adapted to move grain, of a bucket member for attachment thereto, means on one of the members to slidably engage the other of them, and a yielding member also on one of the members to interlock with the other for securing both members in rigid relation.

5. In combination with the flight of an elevator chain, of a bucket carried thereby, means on the bucket for embracing one of the edges of the flights, and a yielding member on said bucket adapted to engage the flight and automatically lock the bucket and Hight in rigid relation.

6. The combination with a grain elevator and its drag chain including a flight, a detachable bucket for said flight comprlsing a back portion associated with said flight and end portions extending from said back,

means on one of the associated parts to engage the other in a readily detachable manner, and other means on one of them to yieldingly engage the other.

7 The combination with an inclined ain elevator and its drag chain including a ight the plane of which is substantially perpen dicular to its line of travel, a detachable bucket for said flight comprising a bottom and end portions, the said ends extending beyond the forward edge of the said bottom and adapted to engage the elevator bottom, means on on'e of the members to engage the other in a readily detachable manner, and other means also on one of them to yieldingly engage the other.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. CLEMENTS.

Witnesses:

B. F. NAFZIGER, L. M. THURLOW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Tatents, Washington, D. C. 

